S.T. Game 31. Yanks lose 5-3. Regular Season starts Thursday.

The Yanks lost their final spring training game, 5-3, to Washington in D.C. tonight. They end the spring training schedule at 17-10-4.

Troy Tulowitzki homered for the Yanks, and Greg Bird had an RBI double.

The Yanks had just five hits.

Tarpley (L) 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Britton 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Ottavino 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K
Kahnle 2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Cortes 3 1 /3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 3 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Harvey 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.

 

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S.T. Game 30. Paxton sharp in last tuneup. Yanks win 5-3.

James Paxton was sharp in his last outing before the regular season begins as the Yanks (17-9-4 in spring training) beat the Twins 5-3 on Sunday.

The Yanks used mostly minor leaguers in this one, and Clint Frazier had a 3-run double. Diego Castillo had 2 hits and an RBI.

They are supposed to play the Nationals in D.C. Monday night as their last exhibition game, but there is a good chance of a rainout.

Paxton 5 2/3 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 1 W, 5 K.
Cessa (H) 1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 W, 1 K.
Feyereisen (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Alvarez (S) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 W, 1 K.

 

Tarpley wins Dawson Award. 4 sent down.

Stephen Tarpley was named the 2019 winner of the James P. Dawson Award, presented to the best rookie in camp.

3 more cuts: Estevan Florial (who, with his fractured wrist, is on the DL anyway), David Hale and Nestor Cortes.

UPDATE:OF Mike Tauchman, for whom the Yanks traded Philip Diehl to Colorado for, has made the 25 man Opening Day Roster. Tyler Wade has been sent down.

S.T. Game 29. Yanks lose, Gio rusty. Roster set? Trade made.

You may be working out on the side, but until you get that game experience ….

Newly signed Gio Gonzalez showed his rust as the Yanks lost to Toronto Saturday afternoon, 7-3.

The loss puts the Yanks S.T. record at 16-9-4.

Gleyber Torres had a 3-run HR for the Yanks in the first inning.

Masahiro Tanaka only worked two innings in preparing for his Opening Day start this coming Thursday and looked sharp. We can only hope he’s like this on Thursday. Two scoreless innings.

Besides Gonzalez’ rust, Aroldis Chapman had a rough outing. His velo is down and I am a bit concerned about him.

Tanaka 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 3 K.
Chapman (H) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K.
Green (H) 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.
Holder (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.
Gonzalez (BS, L) 2 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 W, 0 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Kriske 1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 W, 2 K
Bristo 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.

I had to look up who Kriske was. Never heard of him. Brooks Kriske, 25, RHP, 2-2, 1.09 at short season Staten Island last year. 33 K in 24 2/3 IP. 2 games for Low A Charleston. 0-0, 4.50 in four innings. Far down on the “totem pole”. But had to see who was this guy? Was with Staten Island a bit in 2016, missed all of 2017. My guess is Charleston (low A) bound.

The Yanks basically set the 25 man opening roster today, but there could be a minor move yet.

C Sanchez and Romine
IF Bird (could still make a move here to put him on DL if elbow (HBP recently) problem lingers. If he is on DL, Wade AND Tauchman could make team? See below), Voit, Torres, LeMahieu, Andujar, Tulowitzki
UT Wade? See below.
OF Gardner, Judge, Stanton (Tauchman? See below).

The ? is Wade. I mentioned in my this blog earlier today that the Yanks could pick up an OF via someone getting cut by another team or by trade. I nailed that one. Just a few hours after I wrote that, the Yankees made a deal today for an OF.

The Yanks sent LHP Phillip Diehl to Colorado for OF Mike Tauchman. I was concerned about Wade’s lack of OF experience and the Yanks apparently are too.

So that final spot could come down to Wade or Tauchman.

UPDATE: Bird makes team, is OK. Wade sent down. Tauchman is backup OF.

First off, Diehl. 24. LHP. Goes to Colorado. Last year 2-3, 2.51 between High A Tampa and AA Trenton. Probably going back to AA. Boone was impressed with him in S.T.

Wade, mostly an IF (2B/SS/3B) has been used in the OF to increase his versatility, but is not a true OF. In 124 MLB at bats for the Yanks in 2017 and 2018, has hit only .161-1-7, 42 strikeouts, OPS+ 25. In 176 AAA games, .282-11-58 with 37 SB. He hasn’t taken that to the majors yet, and the 24 year old lefty hitter, although possessing great speed, hasn’t had a lot of OF experience.

Hence the trade for Tauchman. That last spot on the team for now (position player) is between Wade and Tauchman (unless Bird has to go on the DL, then both may make the team). Tauchman, a lefty bat, is 28, and is only 9 for 59 in his MLB career (.153-0-2, OPS+ 20). Like Wade, he needs his skills to translate from AAA to a major league level. While Wade has the speed, Tauchman could show the power, and is a true OF, which Wade isn’t. In 112 games at AA in 2018, Tauchman hit .323-20-81 with 12 SB. In 2017 at AAA, Tauchman hit .331-16-80 in 110 games with 16 SB.

Unlike Wade, Tauchman has a lot of experience in all three OF positions.

Whether it is Wade or Tauchman, expect neither to be there long. He’ll be gone once Hicks is ready.

As for what happens if or when Ellsbury is ready? We won’t go there.

The 13 ptichers are:

Tanaka
Paxton
Happ
Cessa (starter? Middle relief?)
CC (to start year w/suspension, then go on DL)
Chapman
Tarpley (I told you not to overlook him…. made team)
Britton
Green
Ottavino
Holder
German (starter? relief?)
Kahnle

When CC goes on the DL, Loaisiga, who was sent down, will replace him temporarily.

As for room for Gio (rusty today, see above) or Severino when ready, who knows. Same with Betances, and same with Montgomery this summer.

But you can never have enough pitching.

As I said in my prior post, sometimes you have to make tough decisions, and sometimes due to poor performance and/or injury, they are made for you.

Some decisions you just have to wait on. Cross that bridge when we get to it.

But also, don’t be surprised if, until Seve and CC are ready, Boone goes with an “opener” in a couple of games.

Who will be the final cuts?

As the Yanks head into their final weekend of spring training baseball, we await the final cuts to see what the 25-man Opening Day roster will look like.

With one possible exception, the 12 position players are set.

C Sanchez & Romine
IF Bird, Voit, Torres, LeMahieu, Tulowitzki, Andujar
UT-IF/OF Wade

OF Gardner, Judge, Stanton (after I wrote this, Yanks traded for Mike Tauchman and sent Tyler Wade down) Tauchman

Hicks starts the year on the DL. When he comes back, then the Yanks have to decide who goes—they’ve said that they only want to carry one 1B, so either Bird or Voit would be sent down and Wade would stay. (Update see below. Keep Tauchman, Bird or Voit would go? )

If the Yanks are concerned about Wade’s OF play, since he isn’t a natural OF, they could see what OF gets cut from another team, pick him up, have him on the team, and then cut him themselves once Hicks is ready. This would mean Wade goes down to AAA. (Update: exactly what happened)

I don’t see it, but it could happen. Wade’s versatility and speed make him a nice bench piece. Now to hit MLB pitching.

The pitching staff isn’t as clear cut.

They’ll carry 13 pitchers.

The givens are Tanaka, Happ, Paxton, Chapman, Britton, Green, Holder and Ottavino. So that is eight.

Severino and Betances start the year on the DL.

CC has that 5 game suspension. They’ll probably put him on the team, have it served right away, then to the DL for a while until he’s ready, so for now CC would be 9, replaced by someone when he goes to the DL.

Kahnle is out of options, so he is probably #10 (UPDATE YES). Cessa had a great spring training, and with Severino out, will replace him. #11. (UPDATE YES)

So three more. I really do think Stephen Tarpley will be #12. A great spring and a third lefty out of the bullpen. (Update: He made it)

That leaves (and I hope I ain’t forgetting anyone) Loaisiga and German. It’s looking like German makes it (Update: Yes), and Loaisiga goes down (to come back up when CC goes on the DL and back down when CC comes off of it). (YES HERE TOO).

Then there is Gio Gonzalez, who if he is put on the team, probably takes German’s spot.

As to what happens when Severino and Betances are ready to come back? Who knows. Release Cessa (out of options)? Move Cessa to BP and send down Tarpley? Gio has the April 20 opt-out.

Then you have Jordan Montgomery at the end of the year when he comes back from TJ surgery (and, regarding position players, when Didi comes back from HIS TJ surgery. And we won’t discuss Ellsbury).

Interesting decisions are to be made regarding the pitching staff, and we’ll find out this weekend.

You can never have enough pitching.

And remember, sometimes you don’t have to make a decision. Sometimes, due to poor performance or injury, the decision is made for you.

Spring training instructor Lee Mazzilli was released from the hospital yesterday after being kept there for observation after being struck in the head by a line drive during Yankees’ BP the other day.

 

S.T. Game 28. Yanks beat Phils, 6-3. Stanton HRs 2X. More cuts.

Giancarlo Stanton homered twice as the Yanks (16-8-4) beat the Phillies 6-3 in spring training action Friday night.

It’s the last game at Tampa for spring training. They have a game on the road Saturday (Gio Gonzalez starting) and also Sunday in Florida, then go to DC for an exhibition game against the Nationals in Washington, D.C., then have two days off before opening the season at home in the Bronx Thursday against the Orioles.

Jonathan Loaisiga showed his talent and his rawness. He pitched 4 innings, striking out 7, but gave up 2 solo HR.

Two of the Yanks’ runs scored on wild pitches.

Stanton 2 HR, 3 RBI. One HR an absolute bomb.
LeMahieu 2 hits.

Loaisiga 4 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 0 W, 7 K. Gave up 2 HR.
Britton 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 0 K.
Tarpley (H) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Ottavino (H) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H. 0 W, 1 K
Hale 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 W, 4 K.

Cuts made today: Clint Frazier (6 for 46 in S.T. with 15 strikeouts—aftereffects from concussion problems last year?)

Also (from the NY Post): The Yankees also announced pitchers Rex Brothers, Danny Coulombe, Phillip Diehl and Drew Hutchison were re-assigned to minor league camp.

 

 

 

 

S.T. Game 27. Yanks fall, 11-3. Some injury concerns alleviated.

Maybe the signing of Gio Gonzalez made Domingo German try too hard today, because after a decent spring training, German had a rough day today, giving up 3 HR in an 11-3 loss to St. Louis.

Some injury concerns were alleviated today. Tyler Wade, who complained of hip tightness yesterday, felt much better today. Greg Bird’s elbow, hit by a pitch yesterday, swelled up, but X-rays, thankfully, were negative.

Hopefully, spring training instructor Lee Mazzilli is ok. He was hit in the head by a line drive during batting practice Wednesday in Tampa and was in the hospital for observation.

Gleyber Torres had a double and 2 RBI.
Gio Urshela had 2 hits.

German (L) 3 2/3 IP, 5 R, 6 H, 0 W, 4 K. Gave up 3 HR, 2 to Dexter Fowler.
Brothers 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Tarpley 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. Hasn’t given up a run this spring.
Reeves 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 W, 0 K.
Coshow 1 IP, 4 R. 5 H, 0 W, 2 K.
Diehl 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 2 K.

The Yanks are 15-8-4 this spring training. Opening Day is one week away.

One-time Yankee Ichiro Suzuki ended his career today in Japan. He played the first two games of the season for the Mariners, going 0 for 5.